Our Mission:

Protect America's Protectors

"It is important that we, as citizens, back up those officers, and to make sure that they are not financially bankrupted, or even perhaps wrongfully convicted—and that's why the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund is so important."— former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese III

Our mission is benevolent and educational. We support and defend the law enforcement profession and those law enforcement officers who have devoted their lives to upholding the Constitution and serving the United States and its citizens while enforcing its laws. We also seek to educate the public about the many risks and threats to law enforcement personnel in order to build a more informed, respectful, and appreciative society.

CASES

The LELDF's original mission, and still our core mission, was raising funds to help defend the actions of wrongly accused law enforcement officers who were acting, in our estimation, within the scope of their responsibilities, experience and training. Since events in Ferguson in August 2014, there's been an increasing need for LELDF support to individual law enforcement officers. We've been up for the challenge.

In just that time until August 2018, the LELDF has maintained or undertaken support for 19 law enforcement officers, 17 of whom were ultimately charged with crimes. Only one of those officers was subsequently convicted of an offense. Eight of the officers we've supported were found NOT GUILTY of alleged crimes and nine others had charges against them DISMISSED, either during pretrial proceedings or after prosecutors reassessed their chances of obtaining a conviction given the lack of proof they originally proceeded on.

We're proud of this record of success but we know more cases will come as politics, not facts, drive some prosecutors to bring charges against police who are simply trying to do their jobs and go home safely to their families.

Imagine the surprise of a veteran law enforcement officer simply waiting for a traffic light to change, when he finds himself under assault by a hooded man just outside a thin car window. Just seconds to decide on what's happening, what's the right response...

Events just outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in March 2016, show just how perilous policing in America has become in our post-Ferguson world. They give voice to the “Ferguson Effect” where police are avoiding encounters that could deter crime but also result in criminal charges against them.

On October 18, 2016, New York police and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel responded to calls for assistance at a Bronx apartment complex where an emotionally disturbed person (EDP) had become disruptive and aggressive with others in the building. The woman, a 66 year-old African . . .

On July 8, 2015, multiple Ashe County, NC sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call about an intoxicated and agitated resident who had been the subject of dozens of prior police contacts. When the deputies found the 62 year old man, Dallas Shatley, parked in his pickup truck at the end of a shared driveway, . . .

On March 16, 2014 two Albuquerque police officers responded to a complaint about a man camping illegally in the hills just behind a residential neighborhood. The officers encountered the man on a rocky hillside, and when they called him out of his tent and tried to pat him down for weapons, he pulled out . . .

orfolk, Virginia police officer Michael Edington, Jr. responded to a disturbance call on June 6, 2014. It was just another shift on a regular day for the young officer, but this call would be life-changing.

it all started The morning of April 12, 2015 when Lt. Brian Rice and others who were assigned to a drug trafficking and violence reduction mission noticed a group of men setting up what he believed to be a drug sale spot. The police were recently told to concentrate efforts on this particular location by the . . .

Karen and Rick Bell lived normal, productive lives. Married with two smart and athletically-talented sons, one could say they were living the American Dream. But that dream would begin to turn to nightmare in 2013.

James “Coley” Johnson joined the Wilmington, North Carolina Police Department in the summer of 1989. He was promoted to the rank of corporal, receiving multiple commendations for his dedication and service to the community and served the department as a field training officer for younger officers.

n July 2013, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agent Jon Martinson was assisting other agents at an ICE facility, preparing detainees for transportation from a secure facility and ultimate deportation from the country. One of the detainees became disruptive in a large holding cell with . . .

This posting is not about just Rick Combs. It’s about YOU, the LELDF supporter. Hundreds of you donated to support Rick. And hundreds more sent notes of support. And now it’s Rick’s turn to thank YOU for that incredible support. Depicted here is Rick with cases full of those notes. This is why we . . .

Jay Dobyns was a star receiver at the University of Arizona who went on to a very productive career with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Exposives. He took on one of the most challenging and dangerous assignments in law enforcement—going undercover to infiltrate the Hells Angels . . .

On November 29, 2012, a Cleveland, Ohio, police officer attempted to stop a vehicle whose occupants were believed to be involved in drug activity. Before he was able to approach the car, it sped away. He put out a radio alert and a few minutes later the same car drove past a municipal building at a high . . .

Officer Joeseph Weekley was indicted on Oct. 4, 2011 by a Detroit grand jury, charged with involuntary manslaughter and negligent discharge of a firearm in the tragic death of seven year old Alyania Stanley Jones in May 2010. In Michigan, such a crime carries a potential 15 year prison sentence.

IN THE NEWS

March 2018

"There may be a time and place for a scorched earth policy coming from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. However, misdirected online rants whose direct or collateral damage results only in the undermining of the little remaining trust Americans have in our institutions of government should not be part of that policy." — Ron Hosko

PROGRAMS

For over two decades, LELDF has contributed millions of dollars to offset legal and other expenses, as well as pro-bono legal advice, to more than two dozen law enforcement professionals and their families. LELDF is a nationally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported solely through the generous contributions of individuals and organizations. This financial and legal assistance has become increasingly important as our society becomes more litigious and the frequency and cost of defending allegations against law enforcement professionals continues to rise.

case defense

Since its inception, LELDF has been dedicated to supporting the defense of wrongfully accused/charged law enforcement officers by providing funds for their defense counsel, court and subsistence costs, and expert witnesses.

law enforcement organizations

Supporting the honorable work of law enforcement officers is a vast mission that covers many issues—all of which would be impossible for LELDF to handle on our own. This is why we support the activities of other law enforcement advocacy groups, law enforcement professional associations, fraternal organizations, and related groups.

public education

Over the last decade, social networks have emerged as powerful tools with which to control media and social narratives. But this doesn't always mean the truth is heard—as seen in Ferguson, Missouri and the subsequent Black Lives Matter movement. This is why LELDF made it a mission to publicize the many challenges and dangers faced by our nation's law enforcement officers—using the power of online news and social media to our advantage.